If you’re an avid home cook, then you may prefer gas ranges over electric models. Gas-powered cooking appliances heat up faster and cost less to operate over time. Plus, the high heat of an open flame provides greater temperature control and makes it easier to sear, simmer, and grill all your favorite foods.
As you shop for a new gas range, consider whether a freestanding, pro-style, or drop-down unit will best suit your cooking needs and determine how wide the appliance needs to be to properly fit your kitchen layout. No matter if you’re starting from scratch with a kitchen remodel or installing a range in your existing kitchen, Albert Lee carries a wide selection of entry-level to professional-grade gas ranges with plenty of unique features.
Continue reading as we explore the best gas ranges available online and in-store, as well as buying considerations and recommended products.
Gas Ranges: What to Look For
Capacity:
Gas ranges record capacity in cubic feet, referring to the size of the oven compartment. Gas ranges typically have 4.5 to 6.0 cubic feet of oven space, with most models hovering around 5.0 cubic feet. If you entertain often or host holiday celebrations, you may want to opt for a larger range model to efficiently cook more food at a time.
Range Build: As we mentioned, a gas range can have a freestanding, drop-down, or pro-style build. This construction affects not only how the appliance will look, but also how you will install it. Drop-down or slide-in ranges will sit flush with countertops and feature a front control panel. Freestanding models, which are a little more spacious, have a back control panel and can be installed almost anywhere in your kitchen. Pro-style ranges are the most stylish and typically come with the highest price tag, but they offer the look and performance of a restaurant-quality appliance.
Self-Clean: Cleaning your oven can be a dreaded chore, but a self-cleaning oven attacks burnt-on messes, odors, grime, and oil stains so you don’t have to do the scrubbing by hand. In most cases, you’ll simply remove any bakeware from the oven, lock the door, and select the self-clean cycle. It will often take three to four hours to complete as it uses high temperatures to turn food debris and stains into ash. This feature may increase your range’s overall price point by just a touch, but luckily, you can find this feature in both cost-effective and high-end range models.
Gas Range Extras: Oftentimes, it’s the extra features that will help sway your decision. Select range models may have a griddle built right into the cooktop so you can easily prepare hot sandwiches, breakfast favorites, stir fry, and more. A griddle can be integrated between two burners, or it can be placed over a central burner. If you don’t want separate appliances taking up counter space, this is a time and space-saving addition.
Related Article: Best Electric Range Reviews
The Best Gas Ranges at Albert Lee
Now that you know what to look for, let’s take some time to discuss some of our favorite gas range models.
Best Overall Gas Range: Whirlpool Smart Slide-In Gas Range (WEG750H0HZ)
You will propel your cooking to new heights with this gas smart range by Whirlpool. A modern touchscreen gives instant access to customized presets, while the smart sensor learns, adapts, and offers recommendations based on your previous cooking activity. Scan-to-Cook technology picks the ideal settings for frozen food — just scan the barcode on the food item with your smartphone and the oven responds with customized settings. And for added assistance at a moment’s notice, Yummly Guided Cooking also provides step-by-step cooking tutorials to give your culinary masterpieces a fresh take.
Additional features include:
- 5.8 cubic feet capacity
- Rapid Preheat
- True convection
- Three oven racks
- Touch-screen controls
- EZ-2-Lift hinged cast-iron grates
- Frozen Bake Technology
- Fingerprint-resistant stainless steel
- SpeedHeat burner
- Built-in voice assistants
Best Budget Value Gas Range: Samsung Stainless Steel Freestanding Gas Range (NX58R4311SS)
With a Samsung gas range, you can enjoy the flexibility to cook with different-sized pans simultaneously. Boil water quickly with a 17K BTU power burner, melt chocolate or simmer sauces with a low power 5K simmer burner, and heat a casserole dish on a large oval burner.
The large-capacity oven easily accommodates larger items for the holidays, while the Wide View Window allows you to monitor cooking progress without opening the door and losing heat. This range model also includes a Self-Cleaning system that keeps your oven spotless without any time-consuming scrubbing. A high heat setting burns off grease and food residue in the oven cavity and leaves a fine ash that you can quickly wipe clean.
Best Luxury Gas Range: Dacor Professional Pro-Style Gas Range (HGPR36S/LP)
When it comes to luxury cooking appliances, Dacor gas ranges are a full-featured masterpiece of cooking perfection. True simmer, dual-stacked burners reach way down to 800 BTUs for a truly controlled simmer and crank up to 18,000 BTUs for a moisture-sealing sear. Inside, a generously designed, self-cleaning oven compartment with a three-part convection system comfortably accommodates commercial-sized baking sheets and pans.
The Illumina Oven and Burner Controls glow to let you know when a burner is on, and the GlideRacks fully extend out of the oven using a smooth gliding ball bearing system for moving heavier dishes in and out of the oven easily. And you’ll be confident knowing your range is in it for the long haul with exclusive SmartFlame technology that reduces flame contact with each grate to prevent discoloration and increase longevity.
Best Slide-In Gas Range: LG Stainless Steel Slide-In Gas Range (LSG4511ST)
One of the most dependable ranges, the LG gas range with ProBake Convection delivers even baking results every time. Inspired by pro-style ranges, this LG range moved the heating element from the bottom of the oven to the back wall for optimal heat distribution, while SuperBoil burners deliver every bit of the precision you love about gas with even more power.
The sleek, built-in look lines up with standard kitchen countertops and offers a streamlined custom appearance that enhances your kitchen decor and makes cooking a pleasure. And don’t be afraid to bring on your oversize roasts and a cavalcade of side dishes — the 6.3 cubic feet oven capacity can match your menu stride for stride and conquer large meals with room to spare.
Best Freestanding Gas Range: KitchenAid Stainless Steel Freestanding Gas Range (KFGG500ESS)
For a beautiful gas freestanding range that produces flawless cooking results, invest in a KitchenAid gas range. Equipped with Even-Heat True Convection and a unique convection fan, you can ensure the inside of your oven is heated to the perfect temperature. The oven capacity is 5.8 cubic feet, providing a spacious cavity to prepare multiple dishes at once. The cooktop has five burners ranging from 5,000 to 18,000 BTUs, letting you go from a bubbling boil to a delicate simmer.
The EasyConvect Conversion System takes the guesswork out of convection cooking by ensuring you can get exceptional results when experimenting with new or familiar recipes, and Aqualift cleans your oven in less than an hour without any unpleasant odors. This innovative system combines low heat (under 200 degrees) with water to release baked-on spills.
Best 36 Inch Gas Range: Bertazzoni Master Series Freestanding Gas Range (MAST366GASXT)
Bertazzoni gas ranges are superb cooking appliances designed and engineered in Italy, made to integrate seamlessly into a harmonized suite for a true, high-performing kitchen.
The high-efficiency cooktop with six brass burners features two different dual-ring 19,000 BTU power-burners that boil water in under six minutes and four additional MonoBloc burners with a delicate simmer of 750 BTUs to suit every style of cooking. The 5.9 cubic feet oven cavity is the largest in its class, with a dual convection fan for balanced airflow and even temperature baking and roasting on seven shelf levels.
The large temperature gauge monitors the heat inside the oven, and the infrared gas broiler provides the ideal solution for grilling and searing at high heat. The oven includes convenient features such as smooth telescopic glides for the oven shelves and soft-close doors, and the edge-to-edge interior oven glass door maximizes interior volume and can be wiped clean without effort.
Gas Range Recap
If you’re upgrading to a more powerful gas range or dabbling in the world of gas cooking for the first time, make sure your appliance is properly installed to avoid and hazardous fumes or gas leaks in your home. A ventilation hood is a wise investment to pair with your range to help filter smoke, grease, and cooking-related odors.
And the best part is, gas ranges are incredibly reliable, lasting up to 15 years if properly maintained. Clean the burners and oven compartment semi-regularly and keep an eye out for a buildup of grease or grime. Any residual buildup can make it more difficult for your gas range to heat as effectively.
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Shop Gas Ranges in the Pacific Northwest
If you want to upgrade your cooking space with a brand-new cooking appliance, Albert Lee is your home for the best gas ranges in the greater Seattle region. Shop with us online, give us a call at your preferred store, or visit one of the 6 Albert Lee locations near you to find the gas range you’ve been searching for.